Steam sterilizers are widely used in hospitals, laboratories, and other facilities to sterilize many types of items. A typical steam sterilizer includes a chamber to receive the items to be sterilized and a steam jacket that surrounds the chamber. The steam sterilizer exposes the items in the chamber to heated steam during a steam sterilization cycle.
The temperature and pressure of the steam must meet specific requirements during critical phases of the steam sterilization cycle in order for the items to be sterilized. In particular, the steam in the chamber must be maintained within a predetermined temperature range(s) during critical phases of the steam sterilization cycle. If the temperature of the steam in the chamber falls below the predetermined temperature range(s), the items in the steam sterilizer may not be properly sterilized.
The steam jacket of the steam sterilizer is designed to maintain the temperature of the steam in the chamber within the predetermined temperature range(s) during critical phases of the steam sterilization cycle. The chamber and the steam jacket usually are supplied with steam from a steam generator or from another source of steam in the facility. A typical steam generator includes a boiler for vaporizing water to form steam. A plurality of conduits connects the boiler to the chamber and to the steam jacket of the steam sterilizer.
In most instances, the boiler and the plurality of conduits are covered with insulation. However, even the best insulation will allow some heat to be lost to the surrounding environment. Heat loss from the boiler and from the plurality of conduits increases the risk that the temperature in the chamber of the sterilizer will fall below the predetermined temperature range(s) during critical phases of the steam sterilization cycle.
The present invention provides a steam sterilizer wherein water is vaporized in a steam jacket surrounding a chamber of the steam sterilizer to more efficiently heat the chamber and to reduce the likelihood that heat will be lost to the surrounding environment during a steam sterilization cycle.